An excerpt from Chapter 20 of Change is Good…You Go First:
In the summer of 1941, Sergeant James Allen Ward was awarded the Victoria Cross for climbing onto the wing of his Wellington bomber, 13,000 feet above the North Sea, to extinguish a fire in the starboard engine. Secured only by a rope around his waist, he not only smothered the fire but shimmied along the wing back to the cabin.
Not long after, Winston Churchill, an admirer of courageous acts, summoned the shy New Zealander to 10 Downing Street.
Sergeant Ward was struck dumb in Churchill’s presence and unable to answer the prime minister’s questions. Churchill noted the hero’s condition.
"You must feel very humble and awkward in my presence," Churchill said.
"Yes, sir," managed Ward.
"Then you can imagine," replied Churchill, "how humble and awkward I feel in yours."
Great leaders know that positive change requires a secure measure of buy-in with followers, and the greater the change, the greater the buy-in must be.
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Every day we are asked to look at our life and how we can chaange to make it better. Ugh! that word again..CHANGE!
Interestingly most of us view change as being hard, a negative to be overcome. Why is that? Is it because when we were small someone said “Eat all your vegetables” or “Clean your room” Do vegatables seem like a chore to eat or cleaning a boring task? How about saving money and getting out of debt? Daunting for most I believe. Why? Because we wanted someone to go first so we don’t believe it is so hard to do. I have a great team of people I have been fortunate to have met who have become my mentors in life and my dreams and goals are easier to pursue as I know what I must do to reach them. Ask me about them and I will tell you. One is an author of a book here at Simple Truths.
But change can be rewarding ..not daunting. True it may be hard to get the inertia to get moving but once you are in motion, the motion will carry you.
I know. I made the decision when I had a son that I would choose to do one thing really well. It was to raise him to have the highest morals and values possible and to have a woman who would know him say to me one day, “Not only is your son good-looking but he is a great guy”. Well, you know today he is 24 and I do hear those words from women and men who know him. It was changing my attitude when I had him that I would be the one to make this change in his life as a mother..not any mother..but a mother who would make sure I gave him these intrinsic things. It was not easy as there are no scripts to follow to create a model child.
Are there scripts for you and I? No, as each day brings a new script with new challenges.
Be the one to go first for the change and your family and friends will follow.
I know it is working in my life both spirtually and finacially for me and my family. I believe this is the legacy I will leave my son..not by chance but by change.
Good luck in your path to great things.
Lynda